Newcastle star Cisse back in business

MILES STARFORTH

PAPISS Demba Cisse’s finally back in business – and gunning for Wigan Athletic.

The Newcastle United striker put in his best performance of the season so far against Stoke City on Wednesday night.

But Cisse’s fourth goal of the campaign wasn’t enough to stop the club suffering a fourth successive Premier League defeat at the Britannia Stadium.

Late strikes from Jonathan Walters and Cameron Jerome turned the game on its head. And Newcastle, two points above the bottom three, could be even closer to the relegation zone by the time they take on Wigan at St James’s Park on Monday night.

Cisse was a revelation for United after his January move from Freiburg.

But goals have proved harder to come by this season for the Senegal star – and the team – and unless they start flowing more regularly, the club will find itself deeper in the mire ahead of a demanding run of festive fixtures.

“I don’t know why I haven’t scored as many goals this season,” Cisse told the Gazette. “Maybe there have not been as many opportunities for me.

“But what is important is that we work hard to improve as a team to rediscover the form we showed last season.

“We really, really need a win, but it won’t be easy. We must work hard all weekend in training.

“I hope I can continue to score. It gives me pleasure to score for this team, but the most important thing is that the team wins.

And the 27-year-old – who had been forced to sit out the club’s previous Premier League game after Senegal invoked FIFA’s five-day rule after he missed their friendly against Niger – was mobbed by his team-mates.

“I was happy to score, and my team-mates were happy for me,” added Cisse.

“We are together as a team, and that’s important. The supporters were also happy.

“It was a good moment, but the most important thing for us is to win matches.

“We were disappointed not to win, and we must look to Monday.

“We have lost two games at home, and we must win against Wigan.”

Roberto Martinez’s Wigan are 15th in the league and level on points with United.